Tuesday, April 1, 2014

5:11 PM

Kestell, the chair of the Assembly Education Committee, and Senate Education Chair Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, had come under fire from GOP opponents of Common Core standards for not doing enough to support a bill that would eliminate those standards. Three separate congressional GOP caucuses passed resolutions of no-confidence in the last two weeks targeting Kestell and Olsen.

Kestell's statement didn't mention those efforts, only saying he made the decision after talking with his family.

"During my years in the state legislature, I've worked every day to uphold the belief that elected officials should strive to do the right thing, for the right reason, and in the right way," Kestell said. "I am proud of what we've accomplished together, and I look forward to new challenges as the future unfolds."